Why Does My Patient's Medication End In "-mab?"
In 2019, there were seven biosimilar medications on the market in the United States and 18 more had been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It was clear that such advanced biologic therapeutics were to become a prominent force in medicine and the healthcare marketplace.
Traditional biologics have always come with a hefty price tag, but as access to the science and process behind them expands, biosimilars with a smaller price tag have the potential to allow for wider access to such therapies. Growth in the biosimilar sector is expected to increase exponentially through 2024 as patents continue to expire on biologics.
But what is a biologic? And why does my patient's medication end in -mab?
A mAb refers to a "monoclonal antibody." The generic names of these biologic products end with the suffix -mab (and sometimes -omab). These products may contain monoclonal antibodies, antibody fragments, and/or radiolabeled antibodies. Polyclonal mixtures of antibodies have the suffix ending: "-pab." And if an antibody is conjugated to a toxin, "-tox" will be added; an example of this being "botox."
Where do monoclonal antibodies originate?
In 1975, George Kohler and Cesar Milstein had systemized methodologies to garner large quantities of mAb. By 1988, researchers were pioneering techniques that could "humanize" monoclonal antibodies. In that same year, Greg Winter and his associates won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their efforts advancing the science and exploration of monoclonal antibodies.
The monoclonal antibodies utilized in medical therapeutics today are generally obtained from four sources: human, with the affiliated suffix "-umab;" humanized, with the suffix "-zumab;" chimeric, ending in "-ximab;" and lastly murine or mouse monoclonal antibodies (-omab designation).
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